1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to valves having a ball check, and, more particularly, to valves having a ball check for controlling the flow of oil from a crankcase utilizing low pressure, as from a pump, to withdraw the ball check from its valve seat to allow the oil to drain.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,206,992 (Wood) discloses a powered unit for removing oil from the crankcase of a vehicle. The unit includes a springbiased ball check disposed against a seat. The seat is at the juncture of the valve body and the vehicle drain opening. The valve body threadedly extends into the drain opening. When low pressure is applied to a conduit connected to the valve body, the ball is biased away from the seat and the oil flows from the crankcase.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,885,042 (Baldwin, Jr.) discloses a hydraulic coupling in which a hydraulic line is coupled to a body mounted rigidly to a plate. The tubular element includes a flange, and a coupling nut threadedly forces the flange against a mating flange in the body to secure the coupling.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,216,360 (Sweetland) discloses another type of valve arrangement for draining oil from a crankcase. The apparatus includes a valve body having an internal bore with a valve seat defined at one end of the bore. The valve seat is a conically tapered seat adapted to receive a spring biased ball. A positive displacement pump is disposed within the crankcase, and the valve is moved away from its seat under the pressurized flow of the oil from the crankcase.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,196,982 (Dinkelkamp) discloses another type of crankcase drainage system in which a receiving vessel is supported directly from the engine by means of a hook assembly which is inserted through the drain opening into the interior of the oil plan. A hose extends from the receiving vessel to a pump for pumping the oil from the receiving vessel. The oil ultimately flows to a collection drum. A handle on the side of the collection vessel is secured to a shaft, and the shaft in turn extends to the hook assembly so that the hook assembly may be spread apart to hold the receiving vessel beneath the drain opening when the hook assembly is inserted through the drain opening. The operator makes no contact with the oil, directly, since the hook assembly is spread by simple rotation of the handle and the shaft. It will be noted that no valve system is involved, but a pump assembly is involved.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,380 (Burrell et al) discloses a system for changing oil in automotive vehicles by utilizing a reversible pump. The apparatus is permanently mounted through the drain opening of an engine and the reversible pump is actuated to pump oil from the crankcase to a waste receptacle, and then the pump is reversed and connected to an oil supply so that clean oil is pumped back into the crankcase to complete the oil change.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,053 (Kuklewicz) discloses another system for removing oil from a crankcase. The apparatus includes a valve body secured to the oil drain hole and tubing which extends from the valve body to a pump mounted on the engine. The pump body includes three separate bores, including a relatively small diameter bore at the juncture of the valve body and the crankcase, and a larger diameter bore extending downwardly from the small diameter bore. A spring biased ball check is disposed in the large diameter bore so that the ball is biased against the valve seat to prevent oil from draining from the crankcase. A third bore extends from the large diameter bore and flared tubing is secured to the third bore. In turn, the tubing extends to a pump. The end of the third bore, remote from the large diameter bore, includes a tapered outer portion which engages the flared end of the tubing. A coupler element secures the flared end of the tubing to the valve body at the outer end of the third bore. As with most of the above-discussed drain systems, the pump provides low pressure for retracting the ball from its seat so that the oil flows out of the crankcase.
The above-discussed patents reflect various elements which are relatively costly to machine and to assemble in the numerous bores, threaded elements, etc. In contrast, the apparatus of the present invention includes only one threaded portion, the portion of the valve body which threadly engages the il drain opening. Two intersecting bores extend through the valve body, and a tubular element extends into the one bore and is simply press fitted within one of the bores. Within the tubular element is a spring biased ball check. The cost to manufacture and assemble such apparatus is substantially less than the cost to manufacture and assemble the valves and other apparatus discussed above. In addition, the tubular element is easily connected to a flexible hose, thus eliminating the need for tubing and for the necessary machined and threaded elements required to secure metal tubing to the valve body.